A visit to Porto and The Douro, April 2017.
Porto
The town of Porto is the capital of the Port industry. It is a wonderful backdrop for this traditional drink and steeped in history. The Port houses are well represented and too many to choose from. Whilst walking the promenade along the river you get good views of the old Port barges. We were able to visit Croft within our programme , getting an insight in their interesting history, traditions, storage facilities, as well as Port in general. Obviously you have to try the range. We had a pink version, a reserve and a 10 year old tawny.
River Douro
With a week of good weather, even though quite windy, a boat trip on The Douro was a must. We traveled 2 hours by train inland, into the Douro wine making region and in Peso da Regua we boarded a ship, taking us back slowly to Porto. A dry white port was served as an aperitif and the 3-course luncheon was accompanied by a bottle of Douro red. It had been some time ago that we had had white port and we re-discovered this pleasant and refreshing drink. This boat trip can be recommended and gives a good insight in the area. There is an option to go even further upstream and board in Pinhao, even deeper into the Douro region.
The Portuguese are proud of their Ports and wine selection and are in many cases generous. We had an occasion on a terrace where we were invited to join in another table’s Port. Not a bad thing to experience, even though early in the day, it does have its effects later on. In a wine bar we were given a bottle of Vinho Verde to try and were not charged for it.
A return to Portugal could be on the cards, not just for the alcohol, but there is more to see and experience. Plenty of wine areas to visit as well.
